Cecil was among a range of animals projected onto the iconic building, including a tiger, eagle, whale and lizard, in a show which trilled spectators on Saturday night in the US.

The images of Cecil and other creatures covered 33 floors of the building in an eight-minute video loop, and could be seen for miles around.

Cecil's face in New York

The "Projecting Change on the Empire State Building" show was created by Louie Psihoyos, director of the Oscar-winning 2009 film "The Cove," which raised awareness of Japan's brutal dolphin-hunting industry. Psihoyos is also the founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society.

He's used the Empire State Building to send a message before: in 2011 the landmark was lit up in red to symbolize the blood of the dolphins in 'The Cove.'